University Hospitals reaches its $1 billion dollar campaign goal

CLEVELAND -- There are very few billion dollar campaign goals. In fact, University Hospitals is now second in the nation in hospitals garnering philanthropic donations of this magnitude.

UH announced it has achieved its Discover the Difference Campaign goal of $1 billion one year earlier than expected with a $32.5 million gift from the Rainbow Babies & Children's Foundation.

As a result, the health system is expanding the fundraising campaign to $1.5 billion - the largest campaign in the history of Northeast Ohio.

The Rainbow Foundation, an independent foundation formed in 1887 to advocate for UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, made the monumental gift in honor of the nationally renowned children's hospital's 125th anniversary.

Following a thorough analysis of the community's growing need for increased and expanded health care services, UH has made the decision to continue its campaign and move forward with a new goal of $1.5 billion.

"Health care has entered an exciting and challenging new age. As we have prepared for change over the past few years, we have engaged in a very thorough, deliberate analysis of Northeast Ohio's growing demand for complex health care services. We have also seen that while those demands are growing, the resources available to meet them cannot keep pace. The additional $500 million we seek will help UH seize great opportunities to respond to the growing health care needs of our communities and to create a more vigorous, prosperous Northeast Ohio," Zenty said.